Sandy launches fiber internet initiative – In a press release issued on Sept. 18, The City of Sandy announced it has entered into an agreement with i3 America to provide 100Mbps (megabits per second) fiberbased Internet service to all homes and businesses in Sandy.

The Next Big Financial Crisis That Could Cripple Cities – State government pensions have dominated the headlines, beginning, as ever, with California. Less well known is the plight of local governments, struggling with the very same problem. There are 220 state pension plans but nearly 3,200 locally administered across the nation, wreaking havoc on municipal budgets already in tatters.

Worth the risk? A casino in Medford could be a windfall for the local economy even as it potentially strains city services and increases emergency calls for local police and fire.

Get Involved

Special Meeting: ICMA Exchange Program, Eric King & Gary Allis – ELGL Central Oregon has a special opportunity to hear from Gary Allis and Eric King about their experience with the ICMA Exchange Program. Mr. Allis is here next week from Tauranga, New Zealand. Join us on Tuesday, October 2 from noon to 1 p.m. in the Fireside Room at the Fire Administration Building,1212 SW Simpson Ave, Bend. Please bring your own lunch.

The Workplace

Eight Ways Goofing Off Can Make You More Productive – One of my colleagues used to head to the men’s room and brush his teeth every time he felt a surge of writer’s block. He swears it did the trick. Another exits the building and walks around the block to clear his head. I like to take advantage of the mid-day yoga sessions that Forbes offers in the gym on the ninth floor. When I return to my desk, my body is relaxed, my mind is clear, and I attack my work with new energy.

The Secret Power Of Introverts – If you had to guess, what would you say investor Warren Buffett and civil rights activist Rosa Parks had in common? How about Charles Darwin, Al Gore, J.K. Rowling, Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi and Google’s Larry Page? They are icons. They are leaders. And they are introverts.